Thanks for starting this thread. There are many reasons for starting this journey of quilting.
May I venture to state that in our day and age we do not have to quilt out of necessity like the generations before us(at least most of us). Does anyone remember reading "Little House on the Prairie" with the descriptive prose of quilt making? Oh my, just the hardships of that era.
We have the conscious decision to be able to play and enjoy our quilt making. Or we can take the other well traveled road to become the best of the best and win those top prizes at Houston and Paducah and let us not omit the international Shows. That is incredible competition just to make it to that level and have a quilt(s) on display. What an achievement in itself. That may be another goal in your journey to quilting.
Or use your artistic license, enter the realm of the abstract. Some of us enjoy using up scraps; i.e., Bonnie Hunter, making crazy blocks or sending our creations off to charity groups. Do not forget the world of the LAQs and what contributions they make to enhance these creations.
I enjoy reading, daydreaming [call me Ms. Mitty] and collecting the fabrics and gadgets. Also, love Mary Ellen Hopkins' books and her world of the ppm. What is marvelous about quilting is that anyone can find her/his niche.
Last but not least, it is my therapy! Quilting makes me feel alive, thriving and challenged. Naturally, my family knows that I have lost it completely and indeed I live out there in some quilting galaxy, far far away.
Yes, I have my own "padded cell" to prove it. You have your own, right? Time to get off the soap box now and yes, I am phatquilts2 and I am a quiltaholic. :thumbup: :D